Apparatus for casting alloys.



No. 729,755. PATENTED JUNE 2, 190a.

E. GATES.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING ALLOYS. APPLICATION IILBD JAN. 13, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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n: roams PET UNITED STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER GATES, OF CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR'TO THEODORE J. MAYER, OFWASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING ALLOYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 729,755, dated June 2,1903.

Application filed January 13, 1903. serial No. 138,815. (No model-l ToaZZ whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, ELMER GATES, a citizenof the United States,residing at Chevy Chase, county of Montgomery, State of Maryland,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forCasting Alloys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide facilities forthe production,

. preferably at a single casting operation, of a I5 series of smallingots, exhibiting in succession a great many different alloys of two ormore metals selected for the purpose, each alloy containing a differentpercentage of the component metals, whereby at a minimum expenditure oftime and labor and at small expense the operator has at hand an entireseries of different combinations of the metals chosen, and is thereforein a position to make a comprehensive study thereof, so

erties and their availability for use in the arts.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly brokenaway, of an apparatus constructed and arranged in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, partly in section.

' Similarnumerals of reference indicate sim ilar parts throughout bothviews. Preliminarily to a moredetailed descripas to determine theirseveral physical proption it may be stated that in the practice of I myinvention I employ at a suitable height or elevation a tank or reservoircontaining in mold-carrier supporting a series of molds in whichalloyhpigs are cast. The operation of the parts is automatic, and thepigs are successively discharged from the molds into a hopper or othersuitable receptacle therefor. Referring-to the figures, 1 indicates abase which is provided with a longitudinal opening and which issupported in a raised position by means of suitable legs. The rotary 6omold-carrier comprises two disks or rings 4, each having a central huband radial spokes, the two rings being mounted upon a revolving shaft 3and adjust-ably secured thereon by means of setscrews The shaft is op- 6erated in any suitable way and is supported in bearings at the upperends of vertical supports 2. The said rings are each provided with aseries of corresponding openings 4:, and passing through each of saidopenings is a pin 6, each pin being provided at its outer end with acrank 6. Corresponding pins 6 of each ring are secured at their innerends to the opposite ends of molds 5, in which the alloy pigs are cast.The said molds 7' 5 are each so suspended between the rings as to have afree swinging motion, and they are thus rendered self adjusting inconformity with the constantly-changing positions into which they arebrought by the revolutionof the rings. At each half-revolution of thesaid rings each of the molds is tilted upside down, so as to dischargeits contained pig, after which the mold resumes its former position andis carried on to be again filled with thefiuid metals. Different meansmay be used for tilting the molds to discharge their contents, butpreferably I employ beneath the base or platform 1 two sta tionary cams39, which are secured to a cross brace connecting two of thesupporting-legs of the base, which cams are each provided with aninclined surface 40. As each mold is carried around to the camsthe-cranks 6 ride upon the said inclined surfaces 40 and 5 the mold istilted upside down, whereupon the alloy at is discharged into the hopperor other receptacle 3S and the said mold is carried all the way over bythe highest point of the cam and again resumes its upright posi- 10:

tion as before.

The tank for the fluid metals is indicated at 14, and the same is heldin position above the mold-carrier by means of supports 13, secured tothe base or platform 1. The tank 14' is divided by a partition 14' intotwo compartments, each compartment being provided with adischarge-opening 15, formed in the front wall of the tank, and each ofsaid openings discharges into a mixer 32, which in turn discharges themetals in a mixed condition into the molds as the mold-carrier isrevolved. The discharge openings 15 are controlled by the gates 16 16,respectively, which are opened and closed automatically with the fillingof each mold, to effect which I employ the following devices: Fastenedconcentrically to the outer side of each disk or ring 4 is a smallerring 7, having on its circumference a continuous series of raisedsurfaces or cams 8, the edges of which are slightly inclined in oppositedirections, with intervening notches 9.

orking in suitable guides 19, secured to the front of the tank, is avertically-mom ble frame or yoke 19, which is spread so as to bring thetwo ends thereof in proper position to be engaged by the cams 8, whilethe upper cross-piece of said frame comes directly beneath pins orprojections 18 on the'front faces of the gates near the upper edges ofthe latter. The lower ends of the said movable frame are each providedwith a small roller 20, which rollers ride the two series of cams.

gates to their highest position.

.to be carried on continuously.

It is evident that as the rings 4 are revolved the frame is given arisingand-falling motion and the gates are raised and lowered therewith,it being understood that the gates are permitted to fall by their ownweight in the guides 17 therefor, arranged 011 the front of the tank. Itwill be noted that when a mold has been brought into position forfilling the bottom of said mold is directly over one of the notches 9,while the cam S, which succeeds said notch, has raised or lifted the Asthe motion of the rings is continued the frame is lowered into the nextnotch and the gates are closed until the next mold is brought intoposition, and thus is the operation adapted The revolution of the rin scan be easily regulated or timed in manner to prevent flooding of themolds, and when it is desired to use molds of smaller size the rings 1are merely moved closertogether by releasing and afterward resetting theset screws 3 In order to carry out the primary object of my invention,it is essential that the metals be mixed or combined in constantly andreciprocally varying percentages or proportions as they leave the tank,and to attain this end I provide means (operating during the dischargeof the metals from the outlets 15) for gradually closing one of saidoutlets and correspondingly opening the other.

The means for effecting the gradual opening of one outlet 15 andgradually closing the other simultaneously consists of a slide 21 movingtransversely across said outlets, which slide is provided with anelongated orifice 22, within which projects a small plate or block 23,secured to the front of the tank by screws. This plate serves as a stopto limit the movement of the slide 21 in either direction and also todivide the elongated slot into two ports, which are adapted to registerwith the outlets from the respective compartments of the tank 14 whensaid slide is in mid-position, as indicated in Fig. 2. The slide 21 isretained in position by two angle-plates 24, also secured to the frontface of the tank.

The movable slide 21 is operated. by a toothed rack 25 near one end,which is engaged by a pinion 26, carried by a vertical shaft 27 providedat its lower end with a beveled gearwheel 28, which is adapted to engageand operate one or the other of the beveled gears 29, thereby reversingthe movements of said parts automatically without reversing the motionof the main operating-shaft. The reversing means consist, preferably, ofa sleeve 29', movable lengthwise on the shaft 3 and having a splinefitting a longitudinal groove in the shaft, by which the said sleeve iscaused. to turn with said shaft. The sleeve is provided with two beveledgear-wheels 29, adapted to engage the beveled gear-wheel 28 on the lowerend of shaft 27, and the said shaft will be made to revolve in onedirection or the other, according to which one of the movable gears isin engagement with said gear-wheel 28. Pivoted at 30 is a lever 30, thelower bifureated end of which embraces the outer end ofsleeve 29 betweentwo collars or flanges thereon, and normally the said lever is in asubstantially vertical position, with one of the gears on the sleeve inengagement with gear-wheel 28. Now to reverse the motion of shaft 27,and consequently to change the direction of movement of slide 21, it ismerely necessary to move the lever to shift the sleeve 29, and this isdone automatically each time that the slide 21 reaches the limit of itstravel in either direction. This is accomplished by ring 7, adjacent tothe lever, which ring is pro vided on the outer side with a groove orcam 10,beginning at 11, say, and extending around and ending at thediametrically opposite point 12, and said groove 0r cam is for thepurpose of engaging or operating upon the inner end of a movable rod 31,supported and guided in a bearing 31 and provided with a spring 31exerting its tension between the inner end of said bearing and a nut onthe rod. Said red at its outer end is connected to the lever 30 by meansof a collar having a set-screw. The tendency of the spring is to forcethe inner end of the rod against the side of the ring 7, and the rod isprovided with a roller which moves upon the surface of the said ringduring one half-revolution of the mold-carrier and in the groove of thecam during the remaining half revolution of said carrier.

Therefore during the time the inner end of the rod 31 is in contact withthe fiat surface of the ring 7 the lever30 will be substantially in theposition shown, and one of the gears 29 will be in engagement withgear-wheel 28 to operate shaft 27 to move the slide 21 in one directionacross the outlets 1 5 of the tank. By the time the said slide hasreached the limit of its movement in this direction the roller on theend of rod 31 will enter the groove 10 and lever 31 will be rocked toshift the sleeve 29 to change the gear connection with shaft 27. Thisreverses the motion of said shaft, and consequently reverses themovement of the slide, thereby producing a second series of pigs, withthe proportion of the respective metals in the various alloys in thereverse order.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an apparatusfor making alloys, a se ries of receptacles for molten metals, eachhaving a metal-discharging outlet, means for gradually andsimultaneously opening one outlet and closing the other during thedischarge of the metals therefrom, and a rotary mold for receiving themetals discharged.

2-. In an apparatus for making alloys, a series of receptacles formolten metals, each having a metal-discharging outlet, means forshutting off such outlets automatically at intervals, means forgradually and simultaneously opening one outlet and closing the otherduring the discharge of the metalstherefrom,

and a rotary mold for receiving the commingled metals.

3. In an apparatus for making alloys, a se ries of receptacles formolten metals, each having a discharge-outlet, means for gradually andinversely varying the discharge of metals from said outlets, a mixingvessel receiving the discharge, and a rotary mold for receiving thecommingled metals.

4. In an apparatus for making alloys, a series of receptacles for moltenmetals, each having a dischargeoutlet, means for gradually and inverselyvarying the discharge of metals from said outlets, a mixing vesselreceiving the discharge, and a rotary carrier supporting a series ofmolds into which said vessel discharges.

5. In an apparatus for making alloys, a series of receptacles for moltenmetals, each having a metal-discharging outlet, a movable slide forgradually and simultaneously opening one outlet and closing the other,during the discharge of the metals therefrom, a movable mold-carrier,and means for reversing the movement of the slide automaticallywhen itreaches the limit of its movement in either direction.

6. In an apparatus for making alloys, a series of receptacles for moltenmetals, each having a metal-discharging outlet, means for shutting offsuch outlets automatically at intervals, a movable slide for graduallyand simultaneously opening one outlet and closing the other, during thedischarge of the metals therefro1n,a movable mold-carrier, and

having a metal-discharging outlet, a movable slide for gradually andsimultaneously opening one outlet and closing the other, a mixing Vesselreceiving the discharge, a rotary moldcarrier supporting a series ofmolds into which said vessel discharges, and meansfor reversing themovement of the slide automatically whenit reaches the limit of itsmovement in either direction.

8. I11 an apparatus for making alloys, a series of .receptaclesformolten metals, each having a metal-discharging outlet, means forshutting off such outlets simultaneously at intervals, a mo able slidefor gradually and simultaneously opening one outlet and closing theother, a mixing vessel receiving the discharge, a rotarymold-earriersupporting a series of molds into which said vesseldischarges, and means for reversing the movement of the slideautomatically when it reaches the limit of its movement in eitherdirection.

9. In an apparatus for making alloys, a series of receptacles for moltenmetals, each having a metal-discharging outlet, a rotary mold-carriersupporting a series of molds, means operated automatically from said carrier for shutting off the outlets simultaneously at intervals, a movableslide for gradually and simultaneously opening. one outlet and closingthe other, during the discharge of the metals therefrom, and meansoperated from said carrier for reversing the movement of the slideautomatically when it reaches the limit of its movement in eitherdirection.

10. In an apparatus for making alloys, a series of receptacles formolten metals, each having a metal-discharging outlet, sliding gates forshutting off such outlets at intervals, a slide for gradually andsimultaneously opening one outlet and closing theother, during thedischarge of the metals therefrom, a mixing vessel receiving thedischarge, a rotary mold-carrier supporting a series of swinging molds,rings on the sides of the carrier each having a series of cams on itscircumference, a movable yoke or frame operated by said cams to raiseand lower the gates, and meansfor reversing the movement of the slidewhen it reaches the limit of its movement in either direction.

11. In an apparatus for making alloys, a series of receptacles formolten metals, each having a metal-discharging outlet, means forshutting off such outlets at intervals, a movable slide for graduallyand simultaneously opening one of the outlets and closing the other,during the dischargeof the metals therefrom, a main shaft carrying arotary moldcarrier supporting a series of molds, a vertical shaftoperating the slide, a sleeve on the main shaft carrying reversing-gearsadapted to en outlet and closing the other, during the discharge of themetals therefrom, a mixing device for the metals, a rotary mold-carriersupporting a series of independently-swinging molds, and means fortilting or turning the molds successively to empty the same of themolded alloys.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnessesELMER GATES.

\Vitnesses EDWIN S. OLARKsoN, J OHN C. PENNIE.

